This is the 3rd set of Henckels I've owned. I sent the first set to the local cutlery store for sharpening and they came back with a different personality. Didn't cut like Henckels anymore. Really disappointed. In search of a replacement set, I got the lower end Twin Signature 11pcs set. It was stamped, not forged. They cut well, but the knife felt cheap compared with the real forged Henckels.I am really satisfied with this Four Star set. Feels solid, even weight distribution from front to back, and cuts like butter. My friend has a set of Twin Crusine which is so well built that ended up being too heavy in the back. Feels like I am just about to lose control and dropped the knife. Gives me the insecure feeling that I might cut myself trying to overcome the Twin Crusine under control.
One thing I learn this time.... make good use of the sharpening steel. I finally got the courage to learn how to use the sharpening steel with the correct angle and position, it worked so well. Sharpen my other Henckles knife back to nearly new condition.
My complaints:
1. Blades for two peeling and paring knives are too short to handle a variety of small cutting tasks. For example, I tried to cut apples but the knives are too short to cut the fruits in one stroke. I had to use a bigger utility knife from my old Chicago Cutlery knife set.
2. Five-inch utility knife has a serrated edge, which I believe is useful in certain tasks, like slicing tomatos, but it is not really versatile. As one of the previous reviewers pointed out, you will need a regular utility knife. Six-inch utility knife would be great although it costs $65 if you buy it from an open stock. Update on 12/1/09: Cutleryandmore.com started its holiday sale... Henckels 6-inch sandwich/utility knife is now $49.95 w/ free shipping. I ordered one to make this set more complete.
3. Each knife comes with an ergonomic handle but it is a little too small for my hand. I wish Henckels knives had slightly bigger handles.
Overall, I'm impressed with the quality and the affordability of this knife set. However, I have a 20-year-old Gerber stamped knife set (12 piece block set) that is as sharp as this Henckels set, but costing merely 1/3 of the price. As such, look elsewhere if you're a budget-conscious chef. Perhaps, Victorinox three-piece stamped knife set that sells for $61 would be an ideal alternative.
I'd recommend this knife set to anyone who is looking for excellent and relatively affordable forged knives from Germany.
Buy Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Piece Knife Set with Block Now
The knives themselves are fantastic, but the set really needs a regular unserrated 6-inch utility knife. Since buying it separately is outrageously expensive, I've had to pull a poorer-quality knife back out for now since this is a knife I used frequently. I love the santoku, had never used one before, but it's amazing for chopping. The handles are a perfect size for me, a woman with larger hands, and a man would probably appreciate them as well (although the five-star series knives have even more substantial handles). I see other reviews saying they prefer the Twin series, but these are the higher-end knives, forged instead of stamped like the Twin knives. Overall I would recommend this set as a good starter, and suggest you buy other pieces like the utility knife, bread knife, and steak knives as you come into inheritances....Read Best Reviews of Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Piece Knife Set with Block Here
I ordered this block set already having a couple of pieces of 4-star from some years back. These are not the same. The metal is _much_ thinner and the knives are correspondingly much lighter. For example, my old 6-inch 4-star chef's knife is significantly heavier than the 8-inch included in this set. This change in weight completely changes the feel of the knives to my mind, not for the better.Want Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Piece Knife Set with Block Discount?
Recommended for a professional chef at home..I wanted my set of knifes for so long and this one didn't make me regret!
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